How Do You Get Addicted?
Question:
How do you get addicted to bulimia or anorexia?
Answer:Many people compare bulimia and anorexia to alcoholism and other
addictions because they have many features in common. Addictions
cause an altered state of consciousness, generally begin gradually
and escalate, are difficult to stop, and can be seen as coping mechanisms,
even though they are self-destructive.
The altered states produced by bulimia and anorexia have been described
in various ways, including as an exhilarating triumph over food,
over nature, over other people, as an anesthesia blocking out painful
feelings or conflicts or as a sense of security with a soothing
companion who "makes everything okay".
Bulimia and anorexia express emotional pain and conflict. When
bulimia or anorexia becomes like an addiction - a compulsion that
interferes with other aspects of a persons life - the altered states
the eating disorder provides are being used to help someone to cope
with life.
Eating disorders are not like other addictions, however, in that
while it is possible to permanently swear off cigarettes, alcohol,
drugs and gambling, we need to eat in order to live. The goal of
recovery is to develop a healthy relationship with food, and, as
with other addictions, to develop constructive ways to cope with
life and its challenges.
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